Representative's Official Biography

Prior to his election to the 110th Congress, Congressman Johnson served as a DeKalb County Commissioner in Georgia.  He is immediate past chairman of the Board of Commissioners’ Budget Committee and is a past member of the DeKalb Community Services Board.  He led the DeKalb Board of Commissioners/Board of Education Legislative Liaison Committee, where he was a staunch proponent for quality public education.

A partner with Johnson & Johnson Law Group LLC, Hank has practiced law in Decatur, GA for 27 years focusing on criminal and civil litigation.   For 12 years he was a Judge in the Magistrate Court of DeKalb County. He also sat by designation as a State Court Judge, presiding over civil and criminal jury trials.

One of Hank’s most rewarding accomplishments as a criminal defense attorney came in the DeKalb murder case of State vs. Jones, where Hank won the freedom of a client who had been wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to death.

The Georgia Supreme Court appointed Hank to serve as a Special Master to conduct grievance proceedings instituted against Georgia lawyers accused of ethics violations.  He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys and the Georgia Lawyers Foundation.  He has also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the DeKalb County Law Library.  His is the co-founder and past president of the DeKalb Lawyers Association.

A graduate of Clark College (Clark Atlanta University) and Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law,  Hank  is the Immediate Past President of the Clark Atlanta University Alumni Association, DeKalb Chapter.  He has volunteered with several community groups, including the board of directors for Antioch Urban Ministries Inc. and the Southwest DeKalb High School Mock Trial Team.   Hank is also member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. He is married to Attorney Mereda Davis Johnson and has two children, Randi and Alex, who attend DeKalb County Public Schools.

In his first run for Congress, Hank unseated a 12-year incumbent in a widely watched runoff primary (59% to 41%) and went on to win the General Election with 75% of the vote.  He is part of the historic 110th Congress’ Democratic Freshman Class that wrested control of the House away from the opposition party and elected the first female Speaker of the House.

Hank has been appointed to the Armed Services, Judiciary, and Small Business committees.